WHAT IS PrEP?
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a way for people who do not have HIV but who are at substantial risk of getting it to prevent HIV infection by taking a pill every day. The pill (brand name Truvada) contains two medicines (tenofovir and emtricitabine) that are used in combination with other medicines to treat HIV. When someone is exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use, these medicines can work to keep the virus from establishing a permanent infection.
To get up-to-date on PrEP visit the NYS Clinical Education Initiative website and view a highly informative video.
HOW EFFECTIVE IS PrEP FOR DIFFERENT AT-RISK GROUPS?
- In a group (males at birth, ages 18-67 and negative HIV status, gay or bisexual) of FTC-TDF (a combination antiretroviral) subjects who had detectable levels of the medication in their blood, saw a reduction in the risk of HIV by a factor of 12 which corresponds to a 92% decrease in HIV risk (95% CI). (New England Journal of Medicine).
- In heterosexual men and women PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by 62%
- In relationships where one partner is HIV positive and one is HIV negative (heterosexual), PrEP reduced the risk of HIV infection by up to 90% once it was found present in blood.
- In IV drug users, once medication (just tenofovir) was found in the blood, the risk of HIV infection is reduced by 74% (The Lancet)
WHERE CAN YOU GET PrEP ?
At-risk individuals should first be screened for HIV. You can get screened at your local healthcare provider or at Greene County Family Planning.
If you do not have health insurance, you may enroll in the NYS ADAP Program for Free PrEP Prescription Coverage
For additional information on this and other Greene County Public Health initiatives, please call 518.719.3600 or send eMail to: publichealth@discovergreene.com
